


Angst drabbles

by genericfanatic



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Aging, Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-02 08:44:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19195522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genericfanatic/pseuds/genericfanatic
Summary: a pair of taz angst drabbles i spat out.Chapter 1: Magnus confronts Lucretia about the memory lossChapter 2: Taako gets old





	1. Chapter 1

It was almost comical how fast they’d managed to throw a party after the day of story and song. Merle had started it, they were pretty sure, the minute they’d reconvened with his kids. Now he was dancing the most ridiculous steps he could think of, Mookie copying him, and Mavis torn between embarrassment and amusement she couldn’t hide. Magnus smiled.

A small crowd had formed around Davenport, both of Bureau members and others who were curious for more details about how the Starblaster mission came about and what happened. Davenport was back to his official Cap’nport seriousness, though he used illusions to explain what was going on for effect. Magnus raised an eyebrow at a distance when his stories got a little over elaborate, but Davenport didn’t notice. 

Barry, Lup, Taako, and Kravitz were all huddled together out of the way, no doubt negotiating a way for Barry and Lup not to be taken to death prison. Kravitz looked stressed, but the way Taako was leaning on him there was no doubt he’d soon cave and work something out. Magnus recognized that look, he knew a man weak to his love when he saw it. 

Killian and Carey were passed out. Carey was draped on top of her girlfriend, Killian’s arm around her and sitting slightly upright, which told Magnus Carey fell asleep first. Magnus nodded Avi over and told him to find a blanket for them. Someone needed to be resting around here. 

He made it over to Lucretia, who was standing separate from anyone else. She looked at him for a moment, acknowledging his presence, but went back to staring. They stood, side by side, watching all the joy of the people living in this place. “I almost ended….all of this,” Lucretia said quietly.”

“Yup,” Magnus said. She sent him a side glare, “What, you want me to sugar coat it? You were just looking out for our best interests? I know that already.”

Lucretia sighed, “Magnus...I know you’re mad, but there’s nothing you could say to me to make me hate myself more than I do, so--”

“I didn’t come over here for that.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. He took a sigh, “I came to say thank you.”

She turned away from the party now, giving him her full attention. “What for?”

Magnus sighed, “Well. I mean. In some ways you were right. I couldn’t have been happy the way things were after we left the relics. I couldn’t have just gone down to the planet and….and had a normal life. My normal life.”

“I tried,” Lucretia said, “I tried to leave you where you could be happy, but I didn’t know about Governor Kalin, I--”

“I know,” He said, “But...even if it was taken away from me...I still had that. For however short a time. I had Julia, and a family and a home and….and everything I hadn’t had in a long time. I couldn’t appreciate that because I didn’t know that, but I sure as hell appreciate it now that it’s gone, so...so thank you.”

Lucretia nodded, “I checked in on you a few times. Under a guise of course. But she...she seemed nice.”

Magnus couldn’t help the little smile as his eyes filled just enough with tears to be blurry, but not enough to fall. “Yeah, well.” He took a sigh, “This doesn’t mean I forgive you. We should have figured this out TOGETHER, it could have prevented a lot. It’s gonna take some serious groveling before I let you forget taking my grandson from me.”

She screwed up her face, “Grandson?”

“Fischer junior!!” Magnus said, and Lucretia actually smiled. “He was so cute! I never got to see Fischer when he was that little!” 

Lucretia’s smile turned brighter, and she even managed a chuckle. “His egg was adorable. It was like, this little handheld droplet of water, but when you touched it, it jiggled.”

Magnus gasped so dramatically he nearly swallowed his tongue. “Get the starblaster,” he said.

“What?” Lucretia chuckled.

“We have to get to the conservatory plane! I must see the voidfish eggs!!” 

Lucretia laughed harder than she had in twelve years.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite Taako’s objections to the contrary, elves were mortal. They aged, so slowly it was barely perceptible by humans. 

Taako had an uncle...or great uncle...maybe he was just an old cranky cousin? Anyway, some family member that took in him and Lup for the Elven equivalent of two seconds before sending them off again. He told Taako and Lup never to make friends with other races, because they aged too quickly, and Taako would inevitably end up alone. Taako just thought he was racist, which he was, but it took a good 800 years before Taako was willing to admit MAYBE he had a point. 

He kept his glamour charm up nearly all the time, but every once in a while, he put it down to look in the mirror and see what time had done. Not to mention sometimes he just needed the spell slots. His golden blonde hair had turned stark white. His skin, once perfectly bronzed was now wrinkled. 

And there were some things no magic in the world could totally fix. His eyesight, for one, losing a good deal of his darkvision and normal vision. His hearing at least allowed him a good excuse to yell at the whippersnappers going about. If there was one thing he enjoyed about being old it was complaining about young people, not that he needed youth as an excuse to do that. 

But the worst thing was the memory. It started small, taking a minute or longer to remember an old friend’s name. Making up what happened when he couldn’t remember a story of his own life. A spell or two he didn’t know. His aunt’s recipes. 

It was getting worse, though. One fateful day, he couldn’t remember Magnus’ name, and he rushed to the graveyard to see it and apologize to his old friend. It was decorated well, as a hero of legend’s grave should be. Kids went on field trips to come see it. 

They were all gone now. Magnus, Lucretia, Davenport, Merle, Ren, Carey, Killian, Avi, Leon, Lucas...even Agnus had grown up before Taako’s very eyes and then died of old age. Many of his friends had had children, who then grew up and died, and then their children….humans were stupid. They were like damn Goldfish with the way they kept dying, what the fuck?

The people closest to him weren’t like that. Kravitz, Lup, and Barry stayed on. They all lived in the same house for a long time. It wasn’t fair, they got to live forever, but they stayed the SAME. Stupid reapers. 

After going out to see Magnus, Taako realized one more thing he forgot: the way home. He stumbled around town a bit, trying to retrace his steps, but only found himself more lost, until finally a robed figure appeared out of the mist in front of him. “What did I tell you about sneaking up on me, Bluejeans?” 

“Sorry,” Barry said, putting up his hands in surrender. “We got back and you weren’t home. Lup and Krav are worried, so we split up to find you.”

Taako ‘hmph’d’ impressively. One good thing about being old was being able to ‘hmph’ properly. “And what, you were just the lucky bastard to check this…” He looked around. He didn’t know where he was.

“Actually,” Barry covered for his old friend’s lack of memory, “I asked around and the kids said there was a crazy old elf wizard shouting ‘abracafuck you’ and blasting a statue.”’

Taako chuckled, “heh. Classic.” 

Barry created a rift in the air and offered for Taako to step in. “I better call Lup and Krav. Get ready for a lecture about wandering around.”

“I’m not a caged animal,” he said, “This guy’s so fine, it’d be a shame to hide from the world.”

Barry smirked, but knew better than to argue. “Where’d you go, anyway?”

Taako collapsed on the sofa and regretted it instantly. He now felt all the misery holding himself upright and walking around had caused him. “Graveyard,” He said, like it was nothing.

Barry put the stone of farspeech down. “Oh,” he said. 

He went over to sit on the sofa, but Taako shooed him away. “I miss them too, you know,” Barry said, “Every day.”

“Why?” Taako asked, “You get to go to the land of the dead all the time.”

Barry sighed, “Being in the astral plane and being part of the sea of souls is...different,” he said. “Only the Raven Queen knows anything about what it’s like, and she says she can’t tell us or it’ll melt our brains or something.”

Taako snorted, “Cop out.”

“Probably,” Barry agreed, “But...still. It doesn’t get any easier.”

“Barry...look at me,” Taako said, and he dropped his Glamour. He was well kept for an elf. Had lived longer than most, well taken care of and having a husband who was death didn’t hurt. But still he knew he was a pile of bones wrapped together with some skin wrinklier than an unironed sheet. “This...this doesn’t get any easier.” 

Barry tried not to look pitying. He really did. “Hey, I’d hardly think you were more than 700.” 

Taako snorted, shaking. He was always shaking. “I’m gonna die, Barry,” He said, “Soon. One of you three are gonna have to drop me in the death soup--”

“Please don’t call it that.”

“--And we both know it’s not going to be the other two.” Taako said, staring Barry down until he understood. Barry sobered instantly, realizing what Taako was saying. “Kravitz and I have had a long time,” Taako said, “Longer than most. But all mortals have to die eventually. And Lup….” Taako twiddled with his thumbs, trying to get them to just stay STILL for Istus’ sake. “We promised we’d never leave each other again. But we can’t...I can’t…”

He took a deep sigh, Barry staying still, “Elves live a long time, but eternity is eternity. You lot are gonna live twice as long as me, and I don’t want them to suffer without my brilliant presence,” he swallowed, “So that’s gonna be on you, Barry, to help them through it. So you’d best start adjusting now.”

Barry didn’t say anything for a long silence. He finally broke it with the quietest, “I, um,” he said, “I’m gonna call them. Let them know you’re ok.”

 

The next morning, Taako woke to Kravitz gently shaking him awake. He didn’t meditate as much anymore, too much focus. “Wake up, love,” Kravitz said in his low, melodic voice. “Come on, sweetheart, we’re going on a trip.”

Taako grumbled at the intrusion, “Five more minutes,” he insisted, but was surprised to hear laughter at that. It was Lup’s laugh. He peeked his eye open to see she was in the room with him, along with Barry. “What’d’you want?”

“Kravitz already said,” she said, “We’re going on a trip.”

“Where?” He asked, still stubbornly clinging to sleep. 

“It’s a surprise!” She said. 

Taako grumped. He probably wasn’t going to remember the place if she said it anyway. “Fine. It better not be that museum that keeps pestering me. They can’t have my hat, I don’t care if it’s part of their exhibit.”

“It’s not the museum,” Kravitz assured, offering his hand. Taako took it and allowed himself to be pulled up off the bed and onto the floor. He felt less achy today, that was good. “Come on, now, best we hurry.”

“I’ll take my damn time, and you’ll deal with it,” Taako grumped as Kravitzed held him around the middle to help him walk forward, kissing his cheek. Even at...however old he was, he still blushed. “Sap.”

He was so distracted, he didn’t even realize he’d left his body behind. 

Taako didn’t remember much, other than shuffling his feet, left, right, left again, going wherever Kravitz led him. “I’m gonna be hungry in a few minutes,” he let them all know, so this place better have food.”

“It’ll have everything you need,” Barry commented, him and Lup keeping pace behind them. 

Taako grumbled, “That sounds suspicious as heck, Barold.” 

“We’re here,” Kravitz said, and Taako looked up. They were at the beach. But it didn’t seem like a normal beach. There was an old cottage, long abandoned, sitting on an island (when did they get to an island?). There was the sound of waves, but no people or animals, not even a bird. He looked up at the dark sky and finally realized where he was. The Astral Plane. “Oh…” he said, and then looked between the Reapers, “It’s today?”

“It is.” The voice behind the four of them said, and Taako’s eyes fell on the Raven Queen. She didn’t seem to take steps as she approached, just floating along the ground, a veil covering her face. “I hope I’m not late, I wanted to be here for the departure.”

“Nice to see your son in law off,” He said, but then the four of them were still silent. It was hard to tell, under that damn veil, but the Raven Queen wasn’t looking at him, he was looking at Kravitz. “Krav--”

Kravitz let go of Taako, and he was surprised to find he could stand on his own. Kravitz approached the Raven Queen with reverence, and bowed before her. She lifted him by the chin, looking down at him, and speaking quiet words Taako couldn’t hear. Then, Kravitz summoned his scythe and handed it over. “What are you doing?” Taako demanded, “Stop--

He tried to run forward but Lup held him back. He turned around to see she had summoned her scythe too, as had Barry. Barry stepped forward next to hand his in. “We talked it over,” Lup said, “Weighing everything, but...it was already decided a long time ago.”

“Love,” Kravitz said, coming back to him and taking his hand, “I’ve lived longer than you have.”

“Cradle robber,” Taako accused lovingly, getting Kravitz to smile. 

“I’ve seen all the things I wanted to see and done all the things I wanted to do.” Kravitz tucked Taako’s hair behind his long ears, “All I really want anymore is to be with you. In all things.” 

“But it’s supposed to just be me,” Taako said, and realized he was crying. How he was able to he had no idea, but he was anyway, “You’re supposed to go on, you’re immortal, you--”

“We,” Lup said, “Are a package deal, goofus.” She handed her scythe over with a respectful nod, “Besides, Queenie says this happens every millenia or so. We helped her pick out some replacements that weren’t total douche waffles. World goes on and all that.”

The Raven Queen didn’t seem to know how to respond to being called ‘Queenie’ and so addressed Taako. “Rarely does a mortal affect the lives of a reaper. Even more rarely three. But I must respect their wishes, even if I wish I could convince them to stay longer.”

Kravitz shook his head, “Not a second without him in the world,” he said, taking Taako’s hand. Taako couldn’t help the little smile on his face. 

Then, Lup took his other hand, and Barry took her other hand. “Ready, Koko?”

Taako turned, facing the sea of souls. “Hey, last thing,” he said, looking up at the Raven Queen, “the whole ‘your brains would melt’ if you knew about death is a cop out, right?”

The Raven Queen just smiled, and Taako sighed, frustrated. “Guess I just have to find out myself,” and he stepped into the shallows, his family with him.


End file.
